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Florida Governor Ron DeSantis headlined the Sunshine Summit Republican statewide fundraiser in Hollywood, Florida.
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He pressured congressional Republicans to go after the Biden administration if they win in November.
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“I’m sick of being told what they’re going to do,” DeSantis said.
HOLLYWOOD, Fla.— Florida Governor Ron DeSantis was the headliner of a major statewide fundraiser on Saturday, sending a message to Republicans in America’s capital: Get President Joe Biden.
“We need to see some action to hold Biden and his minions accountable,” DeSantis told a crowd of 1,500 that packed a banquet hall at Sunshine Summit, a fundraiser organized by the Florida Republican Party.
The governor launched a tirade against Biden’s immigration policy. He described the administration’s approach as “open border,” referring to the registry number of migrants who have arrived in the US during the last year.
DeSantis, who previously served in the US House of Representatives, also criticized his own party, saying there was too much talk and not enough action.
“If they get majorities in Congress, I’m sick of them talking,” he said during the “Victory Dinner” event as dessert was served. “I’m sick of them telling us what they’re going to do. I’m sick of them going on cable and doing this, and blabbering.”
“In Florida we don’t just talk, we do it,” he added.
Republicans are expected to gain a majority in the House in November, giving them control over which public hearings to hold. The fate of the Senate is more uncertain.
DeSantis took the stage to a standing ovation in a ballroom at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino. Only a few media outlets, including Insider, were invited to cover the dinner in person.
Although the banquet was a campaign event and the governor is running for re-election in Florida, he never once mentioned his Democratic rivals. They include Florida Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried and Rep. Charlie Crist of Florida, who was the state’s governor once as a Republican. They will meet in the primary on August 23 to compete against DeSantis.
The governor is expected to win reelection in large part because of his national name recognition and because Florida Republicans have outnumbered Democrats in the state by 220,000.
On Saturday, DeSantis reviewed many of his favorite talking points in a speech that lasted nearly 30 minutes. But mostly, his goal was to become a foil to Biden, who has COVID-19.
“We should all extend our best wishes to President Joe Biden for a speedy recovery from his bout with COVID,” he said. “And hopefully America will quickly recover from its fight with Joe Biden.”
Throughout the speech, the governor recalled his time in office and cast himself as a fighter against the media, “cancel culture” and “the awakened mob,” but above all as a fighter against Biden.
“You must have the courage to stand in the way of the Brandon Administration,” DeSantis said, using a anti-Biden nickname often invoked by TV personalities and right-wing voters.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment on DeSantis’ speech. The Democratic National Committee noted your statement aired before the speech, which criticized DeSantis for refusing his administration to order COVID-19 vaccines for infants and young children.
DeSantis otherwise touted his battle against COVID-19 vaccine mandates, his high-profile fight against Disney about a school curriculum his critics called “don’t say gayand how it reopened schools earlier than most states.
More than 77,000 people have died of COVID-19 in Florida, and the governor’s actions have drawn the ire of Democrats.
But they have also endeared DeSantis to the right, with some polls even showing he could overtake former President Donald Trump if he runs for president in 2024. Conservative commentator Dave Rubin introduced DeSantis before he took the stage, saying that he had been “acting like president”. for the last year and a half.”
DeSantis did not mention Trump in his speech, though the former president frequently takes credit for endorsing DeSantis during his 2018 run and helping him secure the Republican nomination. On Saturday, Trump was in Florida, in Tampa, delivering his own speech at the Turning Point USA Student Action Summit. DeSantis also appeared at that event on Friday.
Read the original article at Business Insider